Clouds Without Water

My wife had a dream the other night that I was sick and she was helping me recover. Outside of our house was a crowd of Christians who had gathered because I was sick. The interesting thing was they made no contact with us, but instead was outside having a bbq, enjoying each other. Eventually, my wife went outside and rebuked them and sent them away. It was a clear picture of Christians who wanted to look like they were doing a good work but were really clouds without water.

‭‭Jude‬ ‭1:12

“These are the men who are hidden reefs in your love feasts when they feast with you without fear, caring for themselves; clouds without water, carried along by winds; autumn trees without fruit, doubly dead, uprooted;”

This is one of the best definitions of lifeless Christianity in the New Testament. False teachers were invading churches with all of the flash of being a super apostle but there was nothing behind the facade. They said all the right things and convinced many with the church but their intentions were selfish and produce no benefit for the church. Jude calls them clouds without water. The church is full of them today. They want to accolades of the people but offer nothing in return.

Do You Live in a Blessed Dwelling?

Every person’s home is a special place. It is where you make your life and find your rest. It doesn’t matter if it is a shack in a ghetto or a mansion on a hill. What is in that home will determine if it is blessed or not. God wants your home to be a blessed place filled with His Spirit. Do you live in a blessed dwelling?

‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭3:33

“The curse of the LORD is on the house of the wicked, But He blesses the dwelling of the righteous.”

Solomon makes a clear distinction between wicked and righteousness in Proverbs. Those who are righteous are blessed, and those who are wicked are cursed. In this verse, he brings it into the home. To those who practice wickedness, the curse of the Lord will rest on their house. This means that all kinds of bad things are going to be heaped on that home. Contrast that with the righteous house. It will be showered with His blessings. It is easy to see how this plays out in real life.

Put Your Full Trust in Jesus

I’m not sure if there is a more favorite passage for me in the Bible than Proverbs 3:5-6. It has everything in it to live for Jesus. I have found that when you apply it entirely to your life, God truly makes your path straight. You avoid the wrong turns and pitfalls that come from doing your own thing. Put your full trust in Jesus.

‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭3:5-6

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight.”

Everything you need to live the Christian life is packed into these two verses. Solomon tells everyone how to know God’s path for your life and how to avoid getting off track. Two keys are stuck in here that would be easy to miss. The first is “with all of your heart,” and the second, “in all your ways.” Trust can’t be half-hearted. It has to be all in. It can’t be temporary, only when you need to get out of a jam. Trust is a day in, day out walk with Jesus where you look to Him for everything. Evidence of that trust is that you acknowledge Jesus in all of your ways.

God’s Fellow Workers

I do not have a green thumb. Most of what I plant dies. That can’t be said for the work I do in the church. God has done some incredible things in the lives of the people of our church. I don’t take credit for it because I know I am only one of God’s fellow workers. Through some, He plants, and through others, He waters. God is the one who brings the growth.

‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭3:7-9

So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. 8 He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his wages according to his labor. 9 For we are God’s fellow workers. You are God’s field, God’s building

A debate had broken out in the church of Corinth over who was responsible for the growth in the church. Some had sided with Paul and others with Apollos, while others sided with Jesus. The church was split into multiple factions and threatened to tear at the fabric. Apollos had a charismatic personality that appealed to the vain side of the Corinthians, while some held firm to Paul as the founder. Paul put it all to rest by telling them that he and Apollos were fellow coworkers and God brought about the growth.

The Lord Gives Wisdom

People look at wisdom in a strange way. They think they need to go on a long journey which entails climbing mountains to get to a wise sage who will disperse the key to life. For the believer, the Lord gives wisdom. All you have to do is ask. It’s a prayer away, and God…

Preaching with Power

There are some great preachers out there who can deliver the Word of God like few others. They hold the audience in their hand and speak words that hit right at the soul. Most of the time, these preachers have large followings. Many pastors are just as gifted, but their preaching is anointed because it is a demonstration of the power of the Holy Spirit. Preaching with power isn’t about personality or persuasive words but through the power of the Spirit.

‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭2:4‬

“and my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power,”

Paul wasn’t the most captivating speaker. In Corinth, they would go to theaters to hear the best orators ply their trade. They used humor and wit to captivate the audience. This was the entrainment of choice during that time. When Paul came along, he wasn’t the polished speaker the Corinthians were used to, so they ridiculed him. Paul answered that he wasn’t persuasive, but he preached in the power of the Spirit. Paul didn’t entertain people, but their lives were changed.

How Long Will You Be This Way?

Stubbornness and scoffing are on the rise. People often describe their stubbornness as a badge of honor and what makes them unique, and along with that comes an attitude of accepting it and don’t expect me to change. At the same time, you have people who criticize and attack everything everybody else does but gets hyper-defensive when someone does it to them. Solomon asked long ago, “How long will you be this way?”

‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭1:22-23

How long, O simple ones, will you love being simple? How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing and fools hate knowledge? If you turn at my reproof, behold, I will pour out my Spirit to you; I will make my words known to you.

Solomon describes three types of people that resist wisdom. The first is the simple person. At first glance, this seems like something desirable. Keep life simple, except that in Solomon’s words, simple has no purpose in life and is easily manipulated. The second person, a scoffer. These types are usually successful and confident person who is opinionated and will take you down in a heartbeat. The final person is the fool, who is stubborn and always knows better.

Listen and Increase in Understanding

Did you know that YouTube is the second biggest search engine on the internet next to Google? People search YouTube for all types of answers and instructions on what they need to get done. One woman built her entire house by watching YouTube videos. As Christians, we have a place where we can find the wisdom needed to navigate life. Listen, and you will increase in understanding.

‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭1:5-7

Let the wise hear and increase in learning, and the one who understands obtain guidance, to understand a proverb and a saying, the words of the wise and their riddles. The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Wisdom is in short supply. There are a lot of people who profess to have knowledge. You can find a million experts on all types of subject matter. People will pedal their life hacks so you can take shortcuts. Yet when anyone uses common sense, it typically goes against the flow, and they are attacked. Solomon tells us that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge and that wise people listen and increase in understanding. You can set yourself apart from everyone by using wisdom.

The Power of the Cross

The cross, in Jesus’ day, was the worst form of death. The Romans had perfected the execution. It was so heinous that Roman citizens were allowed to be crucified, and it was a strong deterrent to everyone else. Only criminals like traitors or insurrectionists were hung on a cross. Jesus shows you the power of the cross by willingly laying down his life and being the perfect substitute sacrifice for your sins.

‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭1:18

“For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”

In Paul’s day, people struggle with the message and meaning of the cross. “Why would someone purposely die for another’s sin?” “The cross is too graphic. I don’t want to consider it.” Today, the cross is foolish because everyone thinks they are good and don’t need Jesus to die for their sins. They look at Christians as fools for following such beliefs. Paul tells us that those who are perishing because of their unbelief will often think this way.

Show Me a Sign

Almost everyone has prayed, “God, show me a sign.” Why they prayed that prayer could vary, but all of us want to know that God is near and He notices what we are going through. Even after Jesus died on the cross, the Jews demanded signs from God. When Paul preached the Gospel, they replied with, “Show me a sign.

‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭1:22-23, 25

For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

So many people want to believe in the idea of a god but not express any faith. Faith believes in something you cannot see. The Jews wanted a sign, and the Greeks wanted wisdom in Paul’s day. In essence, they were telling Paul, “Show me so I can believe.” That is why Christ was a stumbling block because Paul showed them a sign and the wisdom behind it, and they couldn’t comprehend why God would die in a human’s place. The world hasn’t changed much today.